Ebbsfleet United boss Daryl McMahon believes Chester FC will fancy their chances’against his side on Saturday if the Blues watched the video of their performance in the 4-2 loss at Bromley on Saturday.

McMahon was less than complimentary about Fleet’s display at Hayes Lane at the weekend as they were well beaten by the Ravens to get 2018 off to a losing start.

Elsewhere, in West Yorkshire, Chester came within seconds of making a winning start to the new year but saw their hopes of boosting their chances of National League survival stymied as Ash Palmer slammed home a 94th-minute leveller in a 1-1 draw at Guiseley .

Read More

And despite his side chasing a play-off spot and the Blues battling for their lives at the wrong end of the table and eight points off safety, McMahon believes that Chester won’t be fearing his side based on their Saturday showing.

“You can’t just forget about it,” McMahon told the club’s website.

“Because a lot of poor things happened tonight and you have to learn from it to make sure it doesn’t happen again. And then you have to get on that training ground to get ready for Saturday. Chester are a side who are fighting for their lives, who I’m sure will be at home tonight thinking, ‘I quite fancy them Saturday’.

“We’ll watch the game again. I think the players need to watch the game again. I think that’s important, that they can watch themselves and see what everyone else has seen. Sometimes when you play you don’t quite see it as everyone else does and it’s important we see it – not as a punishment but to eradicate errors. I’m always one for that and we’ll learn from it.

Read More

“If you defend like that you don’t deserve to win any games of football. We didn’t defend and that’s not something you can throw against us very often. We’re normally very good there but you can’t dress it up. It was a poor performance.”

But McMahon, whose side sit 10th in the division, may be over-estimating Chester’s belief at present.

Chester did look much more organised and confident in the New Year’s Day game at Nethermoor Park, but the manner of the Lions’ equaliser at the death was a hammer blow and one that visibly affected the players.

Bignot will have to try and lift his troops again for what will be a testing encounter at Stonebridge Road on Saturday.